ANDREW C. REVKINLesson for aspiring engineers in a fiery failure on the path to routine commercial rocket launches.
adminAn inexpensive method for generating clean fuel is the modern-day equivalent of the philosopher’s stone. One compelling idea is to use solar energy to split water into its constituent hydrogen and oxygen and then harvest the hydrogen for use as fuel. But splitting water efficiently turns out to be not so easy.
Researchers will study the vibrations of wind turbines at a large Chilean wind farm along with health impacts on nearby residents. The goal is to make wind turbines more acceptable. Currently, scientists lack sufficient understanding of wind turbines’ noise and best ways to mitigate the effects, they say.
adminA new analysis suggests that large-scale wave energy systems developed in the Pacific Northwest should be comparatively steady, dependable and able to be integrated into the overall energy grid at lower costs than some other forms of alternative energy, including wind power.
Vanderbilt engineers have discovered that adding quantum dots made from fool’s gold to the electrodes of standard lithium batteries can substantially boost their performance.
Underground heat islands in cities have an enormous geothermal potential. Warm groundwater can be used to produce sustainable energy for heating and cooling. Researchers have now developed a new method to find underground heat islands: They estimate groundwater temperature from surface temperatures and building densities measured by satellites.
adminEngineers are testing new concrete technology for taller wind turbine towers. The idea is to build taller towers that are also easy to transport and assemble. Taller towers provide access to the faster and steadier winds above 100 meters.
